


Echoing Fears

by Fantasy_Writer_Hina



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon), Young Justice (Comics), Young Justice - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, hints of a one sided Kaldur/Tula, mostly Kaldur'ahm/OC centered, sort of a slow burn romance, teen superhero drama
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-04-29
Packaged: 2020-02-09 21:30:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 6,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18646474
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fantasy_Writer_Hina/pseuds/Fantasy_Writer_Hina
Summary: When the Team get a new recruit, it's up to Kaldur'ahm to help her get over her fears of the water.





	1. Prologue

It started off pleasant enough. The sky was clear and a bright shimmering blue with barely any clouds. The sun was shining bright, making everything warm and comfortable. It was a great day for going out on the ocean – to sail out on the salty water, accompanied by the cries of the seagulls. It was fine alright until the dark clouds started to roll in, bringing about a downpour of rain and an ill calm. With the first churn of the waves, the boat rocking a bit hard, her father reached out to touch her head. It was a reassuring touch, one that said all that needed to be said.  
  
_”Everything will be just fine. We’ll make it through. The storm’s just passing over us, not through.”_  
  
Her father’s words filled her with warmth and security like a blanket that covered her at night. All she could do was smile and hold on. Nothing was going to scare her. She had been reluctant to leave the land where there were plants and vegetation at first, but when her father smiled down at her, she knew she wanted to take the journey with him, to experience the sea alongside him.  
  
But when the dark clouds rolled in and the water became restless, she still felt a bit anxious. Even if her father’s words quelled her fears a bit. The kind comforting words of her father was the last thing she heard as the waves became rougher as if willing everything floating on its surface and everything above it to become one with it. The boat tipped over and she fell into the cold dark ocean.  
  
It was shocking at first as she saw a large shadow beneath the water, one that seemed to be the soul of the ocean. As she sank more into the sea, the dark water seemed to suck all of the air out of her lungs and her vision begun to fade.  
  
It wasn’t long before fell into the deep dark sleep but before she succumbed to it, she felt something wrapping around her, carrying her off like the tide. Then all was dark.


	2. Fears

“You’re gonna have to step into the pool sometime, Hana.” The voice echoed off the walls of the swimming room. As he instinctively made his way through the dimly lit hall, Kaldur stopped right outside of the entryway and from the windows. He saw three of his teammates inside with the latest recruit to Team Young Justice. Artemis was sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet in the cool water while M’gann sat on the steps that led into the water. Wally and the Team’s newest recruit, a young girl about fifteen with long black hair and dark blue eyes, stood by the pool’s edge.  
  
Kaldur saw the fear swimming in her eyes and the girl slowly started backing away from Wally, her eyes darting from the carrot-haired boy to the water and back again. He couldn’t help feeling pity for the girl. She was barely over the mourning period of losing her parents awhile back.  
  
 _It’s no wonder she’s not coming out of her shell, Wally’s coming on too strong._ Kaldur thought, instinctively running a hand over the side of his neck. Usually, he would have stepped in and told Wally to ease off, but Black Canary and Batman had told him to let the others try helping her first.  
  
 _I know what you’re thinking, Kaldur’ahm._  he nearly jumped at hearing the voice inside his mind, but immediately relaxed at M’gann grinning at him.  _But don’t worry, we’ll help her to not fear water and you._  
  
Again, the prickling feeling inside his heart returned. It was another thing their newest recruit was scared of Him. Or at least the people who had attacked her parents’ boat during their exploration of an Atlantean Artifact. Because of Ocean Master’s attack on her parents, Kaldur and his friend and Prince, Garth had both saved her but his presence had been associated with the trauma in Hana’s mind. So, he stayed just out of Hana’s sight, allowing the others to try and persuade Hana to at least step into the pool water.  
  
Wally reached out a hand, reaching for her shoulders while speaking in a soft voice. “Come on, the water’s not going to hurt you. There aren’t any man-eating sharks or giant squids…” his words seemed to make Hana even more fearful as her eyes went wide and the speedy superhero in training mentally cursed himself.  
  
It was Artemis, who spoke, rolling her blue eyes at Wally’s slight glare. “You can’t make her do something she doesn’t want to do, Wally. Obviously, anything related to water will freak her out.” The olive-skinned blonde was sitting on the edge of the pool with her legs dangling in the water.  
  
“How is she supposed to face her fears if she can’t get into the water?” Kid Flash asked almost sarcastically in response. His question made Artemis open her mouth, but no words came. He then smirked at finally having stumped his fellow sidekick.  
  
Artemis just shook her head with a sigh. Throughout their little banter, Kaldur noticed Hana quietly slipping out of the room. He quickly flattened himself against the wall as she passed.  
  
His eyes narrowed a bit. Just like his teammates, he, too, was at a loss as to how to help the latest addition to their team. Glancing back at the others, he quickly went after the frightened girl.


	3. Calm

_Water was everywhere, surrounding her from all sides. She felt pressure on her chest, something was pressing against her heart. Her very breath was escaping her, as water seemed to slip into her body, slowly filling her. Just when she thought she was going to lose consciousness, something warm and almost comforting wrapped around her. Hana soon found herself being pulled upwards and suddenly…_  
  
“Ah-!” life seemed to return to her and she found herself back in the present. Her body jolted with a start and she looked around. She was in a warm room, on a couch with a few potted plants nearby. It was her room. Only her room in the Team’s underground base could have this many plants in it.  
  
When Hana looked up she saw him standing in the doorway. A dark-skinned youth with pale blond hair. His blue eyes gazed at her. Kaldur gave a small nod.  
  
“It’s good to see you’re alright.” His voice was calm. Almost quiet.  
  
Her heart began to stutter, her body tensing at seeing the nearly nonexistent gills on his neck. Only one race could have gills. Hana forced herself to keep calm, but fears of the ocean were beginning to wash over her again. Glowing eyes appeared in her mind’s eye. Large shadowy figures.  
  
Seeing that she was retreating back into her shell, and possibly her memories, Kaldur held out his hands and slowly approached her in the manner that he had been taught during training. Everyone on the Team were taught how to handle a variety of situations, including calming down Civilians and anyone else who might lash out in fear. It was a bit of a psychology training really.  
  
“Hana, it’s alright. We’re nowhere near the ocean.” He started but he could tell Hana wasn’t listening. It made him wonder how much of her psyche had been truly damaged by the trauma. The Atlantean kept himself calm as he spoke in a soft voice. “Hana, try keeping yourself in the present.”  
  
She was finally able to calm herself down enough. Her eyes opened when she felt his hands on her shoulders and this time instead of cowering from his touch, the girl looked up at him. Confusion was in her eyes as they locked gazes.  
  
 _At least she’s calmer._  Kaldur thought to himself. He gently released her, quietly sighing in relief. He barely had a moment to relax when he noticed something slithering along the floor and in a split second, his legs were pulled out from under him, only for him drop to the ground. What had caught his foot was a vine from one of the plants in the room. Before he could call out, another vine came out of the plant and wrapped itself around his torso, lifting him a few inches off the ground.  _D-damn!_  
  
Hana clearly wasn’t controlling her powers. The plant seemed to deem him as a threat. “H-hana!”  
  
His voice snapped Hana out of whatever daze she was in, bringing her back to the here and now. One look at seeing the plants wrapped around Kaldur, seemingly choke him, Hana took a step back, the plants slowly uncoiling themselves from Kaldur. She suddenly ran out of the room, saying something in what he knew to be Japanese but his disoriented mind couldn’t decipher the exact words as he found himself free of the plants.  
  
The door opened just as Hana ran out, pushing past M’gann and Wally.  
  
“Whoa, look out!” Wally said, quickly pulling the alien girl out of the way. “I wonder where she’s off, too?”  
  
Shaking her head, M’gann pulled away and floated over to their leader, placing a hand on Aqua Lad’s shoulder and helping him up. “Are you, Kaldur? I sensed you were in danger and came here right away.”  
  
“I-I’m fine,” Kaldur said as he breathed in fresh air. He saw Wally’s blue eyes narrowed in questioning but the Atlantean just shook his head. “Don’t worry, I’m fine. Hana just got spooked.”  
  
“Spooked?” Wally started, “She just tried choking you to death!”  
  
“It was unintentional,” Kaldur finally stood up and held out a hand to stop any further protest from the red-haired teen before regaining his composure. “Hana did nothing wrong. Like Batman said when we first brought her here, Hana doesn’t have any control over her powers when in a stressful situation.” He felt like a robot, repeating what their part-time mentor said as he tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened. Hana appeared to have calmed down when he touched her but then those plants caught him and…  
  
“There’s no need to go after her, Wally. She obviously needs to be left alone for a while.”  
  
“Come on, Megan, you really believe she didn’t do it on purpose? What’s she got against Kal in the first place? It’s not like he’s the one killed who her parents or anything.”  
  
The two bickered back and forth for a bit until they realized Kaldur was still there. Kaldur felt the two going silent. He didn’t have to look at them to know they were feeling uncomfortable and pitying him. It was true. He didn’t cause Hana’s parents to die. But some part of him still felt responsible for their deaths and thus, he almost always took it upon himself to care for the girl, even if it seemed like she feared him.


	4. Therapeutic

“Alright, tell me what’s on your mind.” the woman’s voice was soothing, calm as she laid there on the cream colored sofa. One section of the Team’s inherited hideout was set aside, made to look like a typical living room. The various house plants and the pastel colors were supposed to evoke a sense of calm and tranquility. It was here in this room that each member of the Team was allowed to confide in the slender blonde woman sitting in a nearby puffy but comfortable chair on the other side of the table.  
  
When she didn’t answer, Black Canary stroked her chin in thought before finally getting an idea. She then smiled and sat straighter, keeping herself calm. She knew Hana was extremely shy and the sidekicks couldn’t get her to open up, the only one who seemed to get any positive reaction out of her was Kaldur’ahm. With this notion in mind, Dina picked up her cup of tea, a type of Japanese tea that Hana, herself, had made and offered. It surprised the Black Canary that the girl offered to do anything for the entire team. But it was a sign she was opening up.  
  
“Well, since you’re not going to talk, how about I tell you something?” Dina asked the younger girl. She watched the young Japanese-American girl carefully, gauging her reaction as she laid on the couch. A soft grey dolphin plush was in the girl’s arms. She knew where it had come from, but the superheroine didn’t want to press her for the details. After all, this was the therapy room and in the therapy room, Black Canary was nothing more than the Team’s counselor, their personal therapist.  
  
 _It’s a good thing I took psychology back in college._  The woman thought to herself with the smallest of smiles but Hana didn’t notice it. The girl’s eyes were closed and Dina could only guess she was fighting to keep the memories of this week’s events in her heart.  
  
“When I was a little girl, my father used to take me flying in his airplane, but I was scared of heights, scared of flying.” Her voice was calm, but with a lot of intrigue. Just the tone of her voice would leave one curious to hear the rest of her story. Each word was chosen carefully so as to catch Hana’s attention and it did.  
  
The fifteen-year-old finally opened her eyes, her gaze meeting Dina’s. The older female saw curiosity lurking in her eyes and she chose to continue on with her story.  
  
“I was scared alright, but I overcame that fear because my father loved the skies. Even though he was a detective, his favorite pastime was flying an old airplane through the countryside on the outskirts of Gotham City.” Even though her story was intriguing, Dinah couldn’t help feeling a twinge of sadness in her heart from thinking of her father. It pained her, even though no tears were shed, there was still the dull ache of having lost her father to an accident long ago. “He wanted to show me how beautiful the stars looked at night.”  
  
She chuckled, her pale grey-blue eyes staring into the teacup she held in her hands. “He was a reckless fool according to my mother.”  
  
“But the sky is full of life.” It almost surprised the blond to hear the younger female’s voice. She rarely spoke, though it seems lately she had been talking, albeit in a quiet tone, with Kaldur and the others, but not to the League Members.  
  
“Oh is it now?” Dina said in amusement. One eyebrow went up as the corner of her mouth pulled her lips into a soft smile. “I hear the ocean is full of life as well, just like the Metropolis Aquarium you and Kaldur went to earlier this week.”  
  
The sheer mention of the so-called  _date_  made her body tense and her heart rate jumped, her heart skipping a beat or two as a blush rose on her cheeks. Dina found this expression to be rather adorable on the Team’s latest recruit. It was far better than her being scared and timid.  
  
“I-it wasn’t a date, it was just...” her blush deepened as she tripped over her words, trying to find the right excuse, the right word to call the time she shared with the Atlantean Youth. Hana looked away as though ashamed by something.  
  
Dina frowned at this. Just when she was almost ready to grasp a sliver of happiness, Hana would sink back into the dark recesses of her mind. What Dina wouldn’t give to be a mind reader like M’gann or J’onn.  
  
 _Mind Reading exercises will have to wait..._  the Black Canary thought to herself. She quickly dismissed the idea and took another sip of her tea before setting the cup on the table and sitting straighter. Her eyes now focused on the girl staring at the floor, still clutching the stuffed dolphin in her arms. In times like this, it was best to start the probing with a soft approach.  
  
“That dolphin looks soft. Did Kaldur get it for you during your trip?” She asked. The only response she was received was a small nod. She saw the girl’s arms squeezing the grey dolphin plush tightly to her body. It was clear that the girl had become attached to not only the dolphin but to Aqualad. Dina found herself chuckling inwardly. The woman allowed a few minutes before finally taking the next step into probing Hana’s mind. “Did you enjoy your date with Aqualad?”  
  
Again, the girl blushed, still hugging the dolphin to her chest. It seems to call their trip to the Aquarium a date is a bit embarrassing for the girl.  
  
“What qualifies a day out to be a date when both parties aren’t a couple?” Hana asked this in such a soft voice and her eyes bore into Dina’s that Dina was surprised to hear that question spilling from the sixteen-year old’s lips.  
  
Dina smiled.  _Finally, an actual conversation._  she thought.  
  
“Well, a date isn’t necessarily of a romantic requirement. As a matter of fact, a date can occur between two or more friends,” she added.  
  
“Friends…” Her grip loosened on the plush now as her gaze traveled to the ceiling. “Then Kaldur-san and I are just friends.”  
  
She couldn’t grasp what emotions were held in the girl’s words. It sounded like a mixture of disappointment and relief. Dina uncrossed her legs and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her legs and her chin on her interlaced fingers. Like before, she chose her words carefully.  
  
“Did something happen on your date?” She asked.  
  
Hana remained silent but there was a nod as her head tilted, her chin dipping towards her chest in a nodding gesture.  
  
“Do you want to talk about it?” Dina asked softly.  
  
Finally, she sat up and this time, Hana released the toy she held, the dolphin plush dropping to the spot beside her. But her eyes remained casted down as she started speaking.  
  
“it… It started earlier this week when M’Gann-chan won the tickets in a radio contest...”


	5. Group Date: Part 1

"Tadah!" All eyes widened in surprise as the alien girl held out what looked like four tickets before the curious eyes of the Team.  
  
"Aw, Red, you got us some tickets for a date, you shouldn't have." Wally's green eyes lit up and he smiled what he thought was a flirtatious smile (it's what his uncle Barry would do) at the alien girl.  
  
Like usual, M'gann giggled playfully, but she didn't return his flirtatious actions. Instead, she pinched his cheek lightly with her free hand. "The tickets are for all of us,"  
  
"All of us?" Disappointment could almost be heard in his voice as he said this, but Kid Flash smirked anyways, "Well that's cool, I mean we could always get some alone time later anyway."  
  
She laughed again, but another member of the Team didn't find that little joke funny. Connor and Artemis both shook their heads, unable to find the heart to remind Kid Flash of Miss Martian's real love interest. "Still funny like always, Wally," M'gann said with a chuckle as someone, a familiar black haired girl quietly entered the kitchen/dining room.  
  
Artemis, one hand on her hip, raised an eyebrow at this and tilted her head slightly. "So we're all going on a group date? Even Hana?"  
  
A loud squeak sounded from behind the teen superheroes gathered at the counter, followed by the sound of a glass cup smashing against the hard linoleum of the kitchen floor. Kaldur was the first to her side, kneeling down to help her pick up pieces of the cup Hana had dropped in surprise.  
  
"Are you alright, Hana?" the Atlantean asked softly. She just nodded, a faint blush on her cheeks as he carefully picked up the shards of glass from the broken cup.  
  
"S-sorry, Kaldur-kun." The shy girl mumbled. Although she was still extremely shy and nervous, she was at least a bit calmer when interacting with Aqualad. But not by much.  
  
Kaldur chuckled lightly (though he did it quietly). "It is alright, Hana." He said softly before finally standing up with the shards of glass in his hands.  
  
They finally rose to their feet, Kaldur helping Hana to her feet. But as soon as they stood up, her blush returned in full force and Hana quickly pulled her hand out of Kaldur's.  
  
"Hana?" Kaldur started but then he noticed what had spooked her. All eyes were on them, M'gann smiling behind her hands and Artemis and Wally smirking with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"Isn't that just so cute, Artemis?" M'gann asked teasingly in her usual cheerful manner. The blonde archer, however, shrugged her shoulders, crossing her arms.  
  
"I guess so. If you're into this kind of cutesy stuff." Artemis couldn't hide the playfulness of her words as she responded to M'gann's words. She often pretended to be aloof (much how her mentor tried to be) but she couldn’t help the need to tease her teammates from time to time.  
  
"Yeah, yeah, it's cute, now what about this group date stuff, Red?" asked Wally. The redhead cast his curious green gaze on the four tickets in her hand.  
  
M'Gann giggled again, still holding the tickets in her hand. "We'll be going in pairs."  
  
"Pairs?" Connor asked this, his blue eyes glancing at everyone in the room. He was secretly hoping that he would be paired up with her, even if he didn't fully understand the concept of a group date. "And who are the pairs?"  
  
"And where will we be going?" Robin, who had been watching the scene unfold before him in silent amusement, raised an eyebrow in curiosity.  
  
"That's the fun part!" The excitement in M'Gann's voice borderline pure joy as she levitated from the said emotion, hugging the tickets to her chest. She then landed gently back on the ground and cleared her throat to calm herself. "I took the liberty of assigning the pairs, of course, one of us will have to find a date but that's no problem right? I mean we get to go to the Aquarium in Metropolis!"  
  
“So, who’s gonna be paired up with who?” Artemis asked, trying her best to not sound too interested. Part of her was hoping to be paired up with anyone, but Wally (of course if she was the odd “man” out, then there was one cute guy in her math class she could bring…). But on second thought.... Wally was bearable. If it meant getting M’gann’s plan to work then she’d be able to stand Wally’s supposed playboy ways for a whole afternoon.  
  
Again M’gann giggled again, but her playfully happy smile faded slightly at seeing Hana slowly making her way to the bedrooms.  
  
 _Hana-chan._  Hearing the alien girl’s voice in her mind almost startled her, but it did make her stop in her tracks,  _You don't have to come with us if you don’t want to, but it would be nice if we could all spend an entire day at the Metropolis together. Nothing will happen to you, I promise._  
  
Hana looked at the alien girl, blue eyes staring into amber-orange ones. Seeing that Miss Martian wasn’t lying, the Japanese girl finally nodded. She took a seat at the little island counter in the kitchen.  
  
Once she was sure Hana wasn’t going to run off, M’gann held up the tickets, “The pairings are as follows, Connor and me, Artemis with Wally, Hana with Kaldur, and Robin can invite whoever he wants.” She said this as the tickets flew to each of the couples.  
  
Kaldur looked at the ticket in his hand before glancing at Hana. Something told him he’d be paired up with her, and another part was kind of glad for it.  
  
 _I hope this group date will be a good one._  He thought to himself even though some part of him disliked seeing sea creatures being locked any kind of fish tanks but at least the ones at the Metropolis Aquarium were well taken care of.


	6. Group Date: Part 2

Her eyes watched in curiosity and amazement as the school of fish swam in different directions, her long black hair had been tied back into a simple ponytail, leaving her bangs to hang about the sides of her face. And a small floral barrette held her bangs out of her face. That was no doubt M’gann’s idea. Only M’Gann would wear a pink barrette like that in her civilian form. Not that Kaldur was complaining. The floral hair pin looked good in Hana’s hair.  
  
Kaldur just stood there, unable to think of what to say or do as Hana continued watching the fish swim by. Her hands touched the glass gently as she mentally counted each fish she saw. The two of them were enjoying a comfortable silence but Kaldur couldn’t help feeling there was supposed to be more to this “group date” then what M’gann initially told him.  
  
The group stayed together for barely two minutes before M’Gann suggested the group go off in the intended pairs and that left him alone with Hana in the section with the fish tanks that housed all the smaller fish and sea rays.  
  
He was so lost in thought (which was rare for Kaldur’ahm) that the Atlantean was barely aware of Hana looking at him let alone standing in front of him.  
  
“Kaldur-kun?” Her quiet voice whispered, barely interrupting his train of thoughts. When he didn’t respond, the girl reached out for him. Aqualad nearly jumped at feeling her fingers grazing the back of his hands as she grabbed his wrist. She felt the thin webbing around his fingers and the small very fine scales on his hand as she did so. It didn’t make her feel… uncomfortable like it would if she were touching an actual fish. Kaldur still had human skin.  
  
“G-gomen.” Hana said softly, a faint blush on her face. “I, you seem upset…”  
  
Kaldur found himself smiling as he gave her hand a light squeeze. “Don’t be sorry, I was just lost in thought.” He said softly.  
  
As he spoke, Kaldur felt himself staring into Hana’s dark blue eyes. The lighting of the water in the tanks and the lights that lit up the hall made them even bluer, almost like the ocean he loved so much (and often found himself missing). His heart seemed to beat harder in his chest and it felt like he could almost hear her’s beating as well.  
  
“Hana…” Kaldur started.  
  
“Kaldur-kun?” The girl replied, inquiry in her tone.  
  
Why couldn’t he think straight? Surely he’s not…  
  
He lifted his free hand to touch the side of her face. Her light brown skin felt very soft under his fingers, and her hair felt even softer. Almond blue eyes swam with surprise at feeling his hand on her face, her lips parting a bit, almost as if expecting what was to come next.  
  
 _They’re almost there!_  Came a thought in her head as she thought this to the black haired boy beside her. Connor almost rolled his eyes at M’Gann’s excitement. While he was glad he and M’gann were paired up (Even if he didn’t fully understand the concept of what a date was), all they did, for the most part, was follow Kaldur and Hana around (While being invisible obviously) and it felt like Kaldur and Hana have been at this same spot forever.  
  
 _Meg. Maybe we should give them some privacy._  Connor thought to the alien girl. He knew M’Gann meant well. She always meant well and of course, Being the psychic among their group, M'Gann could sense who had the strongest link with each other. To her, she sensed Hana would bond well with Kaldur given how calm their friend was and how timid and mouse-like Hana was. (The next person would’ve been Connor himself -- and Connor had spent some time with her, just letting her pet Wolf, who took a liking to the quiet girl).  
  
Feeling his hand on her shoulder, M’gann let out a soft mental sigh and nodded.  
  
 _You’re right, this is… an invasion of privacy._  M’gann looked back at her significant other and smiled, her hand touching his.  _But we can check in on them later, right?_  She asked.  
  
Connor’s soft smile and nod was confirmation enough for her as she giggled and grabbed his hand.  
  
 _Good, let’s go to the gift shop! There’s this cute parrot plush I’ve had my eye on!_  
  
With that said, M’gann and Connor walked off, only becoming visible once they were out of view of Hana and Kaldur.  
  
Hana felt her cheeks heating up, but much like Kaldur, she could see what he was feeling in his light green eyes. Rising on her tiptoes, Hana raised herself higher to face level with Kaldur. Her lips pressed against his in such a gentle way that he didn’t expect it. Kaldur returned her kiss on instinct, both of his hands gently stroking the sides of her face, her neck, and her hair. Something about this felt right; it even felt…  
  
Well, he couldn’t quite explain it. It was definitely a pleasant experience and one he wishes to feel more often.  
  
As their lips parted, she felt her head spinning a bit, her heart pounding hard in her chest from the kiss. She didn’t know why she did that. Well, Kaldur was the one who touched the side of her face so lovingly, but she was the one who kissed him. She pulled away, blushing even more than before.  
  
“G-gomen, Fa'amalie atu.” From what Kaldur could gather, both the Japanese and Samoan phrases that left Hana’s lips were an apology. He just chuckled and smiled.  
  
“No need to apologize,” Kaldur said softly. Even though he felt happy at having kissed Hana, there was something in the back of his mind that made him feel just a bit guilty about his feelings towards Tula. Pushing any thoughts about his former crush out of his mind, Kaldur took her hands in his and squeezed them gently. “Why don’t we drop by the gift shop and see if they have a stuffed dolphin plush?”  
  
Her eyes lit up with excitement at hearing the prospect of finding a dolphin plush in the Aquarium Gift Shop. Hana nodded and blushed, allowing Kaldur to guide her out of the viewing hall and towards the gift shops.  
  
“Welp, M’Gann’s gonna be ecstatic,” Robin said softly as the invisibility spell that a black-haired girl with blue eyes had cast on them, Artemis, and Wally slowly faded.  
  
“Now Kal won’t be so…. Uncomfortable about romantic dates.” Kid flash replied as he wiggled his eyebrows at the tall blonde beside him. Artemis just rolled her eyes and smacked him on the back of the head but as she looked away, she couldn’t help the small smile on her face.


	7. Group Date: Part 3

Sometimes surface customs were a little strange. Many different trinkets and toys (most of them either soft or rubber and plastic) lined the shelves of the gift shop. The second they stepped into the shop, Hana seemed to become… happier. And it was quite endearing to see her admiring all the stuffed plushes of the various animals that lived in the ocean and of course there were stuffed plushies of various animals that reside in the Rainforest.  
  
“For someone so scared of taking a dip in the pool, she really seems to like the sea life.” Said a voice beside him.  
  
“Yes, she does, I do find it odd, but if this is how things are then…” Wait, why was he speaking to a complete stranger about Hana? When Kaldur looked to who he was speaking to, he gasped at seeing the sight of Aquaman, his mentor, his king dressed in what looked like a work uniform of someone working at the Metropolis Aquarium. “My liege? What?”  
  
Confusion graced the Atlantean youth’s face as the said water king chuckled at seeing his surprise.  
  
“Do not fear, Kaldur’ahm, I am only here to see how things are going with Miss Hana over there.” Orin said softly, his blue gaze studying the girl perusing the many human toys.  
  
“But if you wished a report, I could have reported to you over the League Communicator.” There was a small sense of distress in his student’s voice, but Aquaman placed a hand on the lad’s shoulder.  
  
“Peace, Kaldur. Sometimes us Justice League members need to see for ourselves how things are faring. And I see nothing is wrong here so I will now--!”  
  
“Kaldur-kun, I--!” Hana started, as she turned around. Her long dark hair swung about her face (she had taken her hair out of its ponytail) and back. A medium sized dolphin plush with gray and white fur she held fell to the floor as she saw Aquaman standing beside Kaldur. “Aquaman!”  
  
Seeing the blonde superhero brought about a feeling of unease and with it, many questions bubbling in her mind. Her blue gaze looked around in case other members of the Justice League were around. Before she could say anything, a hand touched her shoulder, causing her to look up into the eyes of the ruler of Atlantis.  
  
“Calm yourself, Hana. No harm will come to you. I was just saying hello to Kaldur’ahm and now I shall take my leave.”  
  
With that said the Atlantean nodded his head at Kaldur and the other members of the Team (who had apparently been in the shop the entire time) before picking up the Dolphin plush and handing it to Hana. He then walked out of the shop, going back into his undercover disguise.  
  
“Why was Aquaman here?” Asked Wally as he and the others stepped out from behind their hiding spots.  
  
“Probably to just check in on Kaldur and Hana,” Robin said. As he said that, Robin smiled weakly, realizing him and the others were no longer invisible. “Oops, guess we stepped too far from Zatanna and M’Gann.” His voice was teasing and playful, but he just shook his head.  
  
“We were just worried about the two of you,” Wally interjected.  
  
“Guys, I don’t think they care.” Artemis added, “I mean this was a group date, right?”  
  
“Right,” choosing to ignore his teammates’ antics for once, Kaldur turned his attention to Hana. “Is that the gift you wish to buy?” He asked softly.  
  
A deep blush rose on Hana’s cheeks but the girl nodded. Her blush deepened as Kaldur took the plush from her, only to grab her hand with his free one, leading her to the cashier. This action made Hana feel happier, but she felt something else in her heart, something she couldn’t quite describe what she’s suddenly feeling for the Atlantean boy. But whatever it was, she was enjoying it.


	8. Reminiscing

A smile crept onto her lips as the girl finished her story. Black Canary took a sip of her tea before setting the teacup on the table and looked at her current charge. Hana looked relaxed and happy but yet, Dina could see that the young girl’s mind was going over all that had transpired. She was trying to process what had happened.  
  
“It sounds like you had a lot of fun at the Aquarium,” Dina said softly.  
  
Hana gave a small nod, a faint smile forming on her lips. Her heart skipped a beat at the strange feelings rushing through her. They were strange but very pleasant. The calm of the room was almost enough to make Hana fall asleep but after lapsing into a comfortable silence, Hana looked over at Dina, their eyes locking with each other. One question slipped from the teen’s mouth as she spoke.  
  
“What was your first kiss with Green Arrow like?”  
  
It was an innocent question, but Dina couldn’t help feeling a bit embarrassed. Of course, she gave M’Gann some romantic advice before but this was totally unexpected. But the blonde superhero chuckled. She cleared her throat and sat straighter as she thought about the memory of her first kiss with Ollie. The same rush of warmth and excitement returned to her heart and the woman finally answered.  
  
“It was exciting and a bit confusing. I felt such a rush that my mind felt blank. All I knew was that I felt the same way he did about me. I was happy.” Dina said softly. She then raised an eyebrow with a knowing smile. “Is that how you felt at the Aquarium when Kaldur kissed you, Hana?”  
  
Hana had to close her eyes and to think about it for a but she nodded. Despite Hana having shared the story with her, Dina couldn’t help sensing that there was something on her charge’s mind. Something that might be bothering her. Dina leaned forwards, bringing her arms to rest on her knees as she did so. Maybe she should try probing about the accident? About the day of the storm?  
  
 _Just a small probing, just test the waters to see if she’s ready to open up, Dina. one simple question._  Black Canary thought to herself.  
  
The older woman brushed a few strands of her pale blond hair out of her face. She was ready to speak when Hana opened her eyes. There was a panicked look on her face as she bolted upright.  
  
“Hana?” Dina started.  
  
“I forgot to ask him about it!”  
  
“What? Ask who about what?” Dina asked.  
  
Hana looked back at her, guilt in her eyes as she responded.  
  
“Aquaman about my father’s good luck charm.”  
  
“Good luck charm?” Dina blinked, feeling confused. All the woman could think of was how in the world Aquaman would know about some silly trinket that belonged to Hana’s father. Before Dina could ask anymore questions, Hana got up and hurried to the door.  
  
“Hana! Wait!” But the girl was already out of the room, Hana muttering an apology to Red Tornado as she almost collided with him while running out.  
  
A sigh left her lips, and she massaged her temples.  _These teen superheroes…_  Dina thought.  
  
“Hana seems to be full of energy all of a sudden.” Said Red Tornado’s mechanical voice as the red robotic hero glanced after Hana before entering the room, carrying a plate of what looked like cookies that M’Gann baked.  
  
“I guess it’s better than her moping around,” Dina said with a chuckle.


End file.
